Running-board footplate



' ugjfm; 1923. y www@ J. F. BROWN RUNNING BOAR FOOTPLATE Filed Aug.. 23. 1922 f5? 2. l wf 3 f Z n f V I/ r//f fil gwuentoz 4 Parenteel Aug. i4, i923.

JOHN F. BROWN, or PHENIX, nieionnisnann.

nonnina-Bourin roorrna'frn.

Application filed August 273, 1922. Serial No. 583,812.

To aZZVw/ltomi may concern: 1 Be knownthat'l, JOHN F. BROWN, a citizen'vof the United States, residing at Phenix, in the county of Kent and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new Y and useful Improvements in Running-Board Footplates,ofwhich the following is a specitication. v-

- This invention'relates to improvements in.

auxiliary foot plates such'as are employed -upon the running boards Ot automobiles and 'has as its'primary object to so construct the Jfoot vplate that'it will serve as an identifying means enabling one to readily locate hisma- 1 chine among others thus avoiding confusion and etfecti'ng a saving in time.

vIn the accompanying drawingsfn Figure l isa perspective view of the Jfoot plate embodying the invention installed uponv the running board of an automobile;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken sub stantially on the line 2-2 of Figure lloolring in the direction indicated by the arrows- Y The lfoot plate` embodying the invention is indicated in general by the numeral l and the'same is preferably cast from aluminum and comprises a substantially flat rectangular body 2 which may be roughened upon its upper surface as usual as indicated by the numeral 3 and secured in place upon the running board of the machine, indicated by the numeral 4, by screws, bolts, or other as tening elements 5. Such plates are Ordinarily provided with an upstanding flange at their edges next adjacent the running board shield ofthe car, which shield is indicated by the numeral 6. Heretofore, however, these flanges have served no other purpose than asY a guard to prevent denting or scratching of the running board shield when one steps upon'the foot plate, but the pres- Aent invention contemplates adapting this Vilange'to perform an additional function as vwill now be explained.

In the drawings .the flange referred to above is indicated by the numeral 7 and in carrying out the principles ot the Vinvention, the ange is formed with open letters,

. symbols, or the like, indicated by the numeral 8 which may comprise the name of the owner of the automobile, the name of the maker, the town or city in which the owner resides, etc., and will in any event constitute an identifying means which will enable the owner of the machine toA more readily locate the same among others. The flange upstands beside the ruiming board shield 6 and as the'letters or symbols 8 are open, the color of the finish of the machine or` more specifically, the ruiming board shield, Vwill be visible through the open letters or characters. Therefore, ii the toot plate is formed ofaluminum or some other so-'called white metal,`and'it the body of the machine is of a distinctive color, the letters or charac- 55 ters 8 will stand out boldly and be readily discernible. v In carrying out the invention and in molding the :toot plates, Vthey may be cast in molds provided with interchangeable and se- 70 lectively .arrangeable letter or character coies permitting oi" different names or combinationsof letters or characters being set u Vandthus reproduced in the iiange of the p ate vas it comes from the mold. Therefore the invention presents not only the advantage that the article as inished will constitute an identifying means, but also it possesses commercial advantages in that a manufacturer placing his machines upon the market may equipv each machine with a sot of foot. plates bearing the purchasers name or any other selected marl: ot identification whichmight be preferred by him` Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A toot plate tor automobiles comprising a body provided with a flange to upstand beside the running board shield of the `automobile upon the running board of which the foot plate is to be installed, the said Yflange having an identilication character or the like formed therein and delined by an opening'l extending entirely through said flange whereby the distinctive color of the nish of the running board shield will be visible through said opening in contrast with the color of the metal oit which the toot plate is formed.

2. The combination with the running 10U g A Y 1,464,970

board and running bozud shield of an euhVV mobile,V of n Foot plate secured upon the runnmg board and havmg a llange upstuvnclmg beslcle the Vshleld, the flange havmg open the openings clelf'nngthe @herestelelnpeolbV tlast with the color of the metal Of'whlcll the foot. plate is formed and thereby'beilg 10V readily -cllseernllele-V Y ln estmonywhereofI efllx my Signature.

- JOHN-F. BROWN l @f5.3 l 

